Lawsuit filed looking to remove Republican Lt. Gov. candidate John Wahl from ballot over residency

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A lawsuit has been filed in Montgomery Co. Circuit Court looking to remove Republican Lt. Governor candidate John Wahl from the November general election ballot, citing a challenge to his Alabama residency.

State law requires candidates for Lt. Governor to have lived in the state of Alabama for at least seven years prior to being elected to serve in the office.

In order to qualify for the general election on Nov. 3, 2026, a candidate would have to have lived in Alabama since at least Nov. 3, 2019.

The three plaintiffs are Jarrod Wayne Shulte, Amanda Beth Shulte and Valtoria Jackson, referred to as the ‘Realtors.’

What the lawsuit alleges

A Tennessee driver license

The lawsuit cites a Tennessee driver license that Wahl obtained on Dec. 2, 2020, which was registered to the name ‘Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl.’

The lawsuit says Wahl would not have been able to get the driver license without providing a Tennessee address.

According to the filing, Wahl would have had the Tennessee license until at least April 11, 2023, when they saw Wahl was pulled over for speeding and handed the license to an Alabama state trooper.

The filing also alleges Wahl was pulled over for speeding by an Alabama state trooper on June 24, 2025. However, they say for that stop, he had an Alabama driver license with the name ‘Nehemian John Wahl.’

According to the filing, Wahl was pulled over again on June 30, 2026, and presented a license with the name ‘Nehemiah Ezekial John Wahl.’

The plaintiffs allege that Wahl did not receive an Alabama driver license until “some time after January 27, 2023″ based “on information and belief.”

A recent Tennessee voting record

The lawsuit alleges that Wahl was registered to vote in Tennessee until July 28, 2025.

What the lawsuit is asking to be done

The plaintiffs are requested Secretary of State Wes Allen to exclude Wahl’s name from the Nov. 3 ballot.

Notably, Wahl beat Allen in the June 16 runoff to become the Republican candidate for Lt. Governor.

After a request for comment, Sec. Allen said, “I can’t comment on ongoing litigation in which I’m a named defendant.”

Reaction to the lawsuit

John Wahl has not responded to a request for comment.

Wahl is facing current state Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, in the race to be Alabama’s next Lt. Governor.

Ensler provided the following statement in reaction to the lawsuit:

“This lawsuit raises serious doubts about whether John Wahl meets the Alabama Constitution’s requirements to serve as Lieutenant Governor. It even raises questions about his real name. It’s clear that Wahl has some explaining to do. Alabamians deserve to know their leaders are eligible to serve.”

“No one is above the law. Everyone, including Wahl, should have to play by the same rules. Yet the evidence presented in this lawsuit suggests that Wahl thinks there’s one set of rules for him and another for everyone else. That is an insult to every law-abiding Alabamian. 

“Alabama voters deserve honesty. If Wahl can’t be honest about where he lives, why should Alabamians trust him to serve?”

“As this lawsuit plays out in court, our campaign will remain focused on winning this race at the ballot box. We will do this by continuing to focus on the issues that matter most to Alabamians: putting more money in their pockets, improving healthcare access, strengthening our public schools, and making our communities safer.”

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